Have you ever wanted to be a mom of multiples or wondered what it would really be like? Well, today, July 12th, was National Triplet Day and we thought it would be really fun to chat with a mom of triplets, Brittany Werth , to get the real scoop. Brittany is the Chief Operating Officer of Simplified , a boutique lifestyle brand specializing in products to empower busy women with the tools they need to simplify their lives. She lives in Orlando, FL, with her husband, Doug, 4-year-old son, Douglas...
Jul 12, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 64
Today's episode is all about how you can help new moms during postpartum . But when you're the mom and expecting a baby, there is so much to think about and plan for before the baby's arrival. Is my baby healthy? Will I be a good mom? Am I even ready to be a mom? One thing I am so glad that I knew about was ViaCord Cord Blood Banking . Cord blood banking is a simple and smart way to help plan for your family’s future health. But the only way you can do it is right when your baby is born. You can...
Jul 06, 2021•40 min•Ep. 63
Once you become pregnant and see those two pink lines on your positive pregnancy test , a lot of women immediately contact their doctor to confirm their pregnancy. And once it's confirmed, you'll be seeing a lot of your doctor as he/she cares for you and your baby's health! During your doctor appointments, I recommend bringing a list of questions with you. This ensures that you don't forget anything while you're there. It's important that women feel like they are participating in shared decision...
Jun 21, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Now that we are in the full swing of summertime, water safety is at the forefront of every parent's mind because families are spending more time by the pool, at the beach, or at the lake. I feel like in the past few years drowning prevention and water safety has received more media attention, but I think there is still a lot that people don’t know. Today I'm chatting with Natalie Livingston, a 25-year veteran of the aquatics industry and Co-Founder and Owner of the consulting and education firm ...
Jun 07, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 61
As a mother of two , I know the fragility and rawness of postpartum. I also know how important it is for new mothers to take care of themselves physically and emotionally during this stage. It's also important to plan for support during postpartum. Because, in my opinion, it’s a stage that not enough families prepare for. On today's episode, I'm chatting with Caitlin Simpson , a perinatal social worker and postpartum cook in Houston, TX. Through her business, Dish Doula , she supports the physic...
May 25, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 60
As our listeners know, Mary Alice and I both have recently given birth to baby girls! Mary Alice gave birth in December 2020 and I gave birth in February 2021 . We are both in the thick of postpartum and we want to share with all of YOU what you may expect during the postpartum period. There are a lot of changes not only physically but emotionally. We feel that many expecting women prepare for childbirth , but are less prepared for postpartum life . By sharing our experiences and common symptoms...
May 10, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Many expecting mothers that I’ve taught or worked with as a doula or childbirth educator have expressed some sort of fear or anxiety when approaching their due date anticipating childbirth. While this is common, it still breaks my heart because birth can be a beautiful experience no matter how you give birth. And the best way to reduce your fear and anxiety is by educating yourself. It’s good to talk about what you can potentially expect so the unknown becomes more familiar and less scary. This ...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 58
As a doula, I know that many people have never heard of the term “VBAC,” which is the acronym for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. The old saying “once a C-section always a C-section” is a myth! I’ve supported dozens of VBAC mamas over the years and I have felt that a lot of families don’t get enough information or support about VBACs from their communities or care providers. However, I also know that VBACs aren’t for everyone. That’s why I’m chatting with Meagan and Julie today; doulas, VBAC-moms,...
Apr 14, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Mary Alice and I have gone over "what to expect" in all three trimesters and now we're ready to talk about labor and birth! We both recently have given birth to our babies and we're here to share our thoughts and experiences. Mary Alice gave birth to her first child, a baby girl, in December of 2020 and I, just a month ago, gave birth to my second child, also a baby girl! We had different but powerful birth experiences and we thought it would be great to talk about our birth stories and share wi...
Mar 31, 2021•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Today’s topic is an important one, but one that is rarely discussed . . . circumcision. As soon as you are told “it’s a boy!” during your pregnancy or after giving birth, it’s a decision that you are faced with as a parent . Should your son be circumcised or not? Some parents do lots of research, some parents think little about the decision and do what they are familiar with in their own family. Some parents follow their religious beliefs regarding this decision. Whichever way you choose, let me...
Mar 15, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 55
It's almost that time when we need to change our clocks! This is every parent's least favorite time of year. That's why I’m chatting with Lauren Olson today to help with prepping your baby for Spring Forward. Lauren is a certified sleep specialist and founder of Sleep + the City . She began Sleep + the City in 2014 when she found that there was a real need for a REAL person to help new and seasoned moms with sleep training in a modern way. Her mission is to teach parents a gentle, hands-on, no c...
Mar 01, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Today I have the pleasure of chatting with one of our own moms here at Baby Chick and young widow, Cheyenne Bell, and the Founder and CEO of Dayforward , Aaron Shapiro. CEO, Aaron Shapiro, has a long history of being a marketing and technology executive, serial entrepreneur, but most of all, a father and husband to his wife and three children in New York City. He’s spent his career using digital technology to help make people’s lives better. After leaving his last company, which helped some of t...
Feb 16, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Once you become a parent, so much of your life changes. Your daily schedule, the amount of sleep you get, the amount of time and energy you have, and the list continues. After long days and nights with the baby or working all day and dealing with a fussy toddler , let’s not even forget parenting during a pandemic, sometimes you are too drained to think about getting intimate with your partner. With so much on our to-do lists, it can sometimes feel like sex is just another thing to add to the cal...
Feb 01, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 52
With my due date just around the corner, I wanted to chat with Sarah Kuhn , founder of Juna , a fitness and nutrition app for pregnancy and postpartum, about exercising after birth. We know the benefits of staying active during pregnancy and after baby. However, there are a lot of details that aren't clear. As a pre & post-natal exercise specialist, I knew Sarah could give us the real scoop on what we need to know about exercising after giving birth. She's going over what we can do, what we ...
Jan 18, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Today I’m chatting with Dr. Samira Hodges and Dr. Ana Pal , two board-certified pediatricians who both currently practice in Houston, TX, about stress in children and how we can help our kids manage stress. It may seem like children’s lives are pretty simple and they couldn’t possibly know about or experience stress, but actually, that’s untrue. Pressures on children come from a number of sources. It could be from within the child themselves, from parents, teachers, or friends. These pressures c...
Jan 04, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 50
The third trimester . . . the final three months before baby's arrival! Mary Alice is at the very end of her pregnancy, due December 25th, and I am officially in my third trimester , 31 weeks! We both have been experiencing a lot of different things throughout our pregnancies. We’ve already covered what to expect in the first trimester and second trimester on our podcast and today we are chatting about the third trimester; what we are experiencing as well as what you may expect from your third t...
Dec 21, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Here on Chick Chat, we are all about getting a good and healthy night’s sleep. But a question that many parents ask is when should they transition their babies out of swaddles? And not only that, how can they do that smoothly and successfully. Well, today, I'm chatting with Cara Walker, a certified infant & toddler sleep consultant, and the founder of Well Rested Mama . Cara is a wife and mother of three and she used gentle sleep training techniques on all three of her babies. She loves to t...
Dec 08, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Over the past 10 years, I've attended hundreds of births. Some of my clients choose to have unmedicated births and some choose pain medication. Whichever you choose, do your research and decide which birthing experience is best for you. We want everyone to know that one way of giving birth is not better than the other and one way does not make you a better or stronger woman or mother. All birthing options are good options for different circumstances and it's up to you to do your research so that...
Nov 23, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Montessori is becoming more and more popular but there are still families who don’t know what Montessori is and why it might be a good option for their child. Today, I'm chatting with Theresa, the founder of Montessori in Real Life , co-creator of The Montessori Guides , and mom to a 3-year-old girl and 1-year-old boy. Prior to momming and blogging, Theresa received her graduate degree in developmental psychology and then her AMS certification to become a Montessori infant/toddler teacher. Thoug...
Nov 09, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Mary Alice and I are both currently pregnant and are here to talk about the second trimester: what to expect and what we are experiencing during our pregnancies. We hope that you listened to our episode about the first trimester . It should give you a good idea of what to expect and what is normal. In the future, we will also share what to expect in the third trimester, birth, and postpartum. Everyone’s pregnancy and parenting journeys are different, but we hope you find some comfort in what we’...
Oct 26, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Did you know that only about 8 percent of U.S. births are attended by midwives? Many women in the states are unaware of who midwives are, what they do, and where they practice. In the United States, most women never even think to consider hiring one as their maternity care provider. This breaks my heart because in many other developed countries, like France, the U.K., and Australia, midwifery is common as obstetrics. Why is this? Studies show that births attended by midwives are just as safe as ...
Oct 13, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Choosing a crib mattress may not sound like a big deal, but it’s more important than parents think. Today, I have the pleasure of chatting with Barry Cik, the Founder and Technical Director of Naturepedic , a manufacturer of award-winning certified organic mattresses. Barry knows all too well the important decision of choosing the right crib mattress for your baby. Years ago when Barry was shopping for his first grandchild’s crib mattress, he was troubled to discover the state of the baby mattre...
Sep 28, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Car seats can be confusing. What should we look for in a good car seat when making a purchase? What are the common car seat mistakes that we can avoid? We know that they keep our children safe in the car, but it's more than just buying the car seat. We need to know how to use it properly. I’m chatting with a nationally certified car seat technician, Michelle Pratt , for today's episode. Michelle is the owner of Safe in the Seat , which handles all things car seats; like online courses, custom ca...
Sep 14, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Welcoming a child into the world is one of the greatest days of a parent's life. However, if that newborn child ever has to be separated due to being preterm, having health complications, or for other reasons, that separation can be scary for parents. If the baby needs more medical attention, they are taken to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Most parents are unfamiliar with NICUs so this too can be scary. But it doesn't have to be. Today’s episode is about the NICU and what parents need...
Aug 31, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Mary Alice and I have a little surprise to share with all of you . . . We are both PREGNANT! That’s right! Mary Alice is expecting her first baby and I am expecting my second . We have been experiencing a lot of different things already so we thought it would be fun to chat during each trimester and share with you what we are experiencing and what you may expect. Here's what's been going on with us during our first trimesters. Here we go! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...
Aug 17, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Potty training can be such a daunting task for most parents. When should you start potty training? What are the readiness signs ? What are the products that you absolutely need? How can you tackle nap and nighttime potty training? There are so many questions about this major milestone so we are chatting with Allison Jandu , a professional potty training consultant and author. Allison is sharing her tips about how parents can best prepare for potty training and what we need to know. If you're abo...
Aug 03, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Once you become pregnant, something that women become more aware of is what they are putting in their bodies. The fuel we eat is also helping us grow our babies. It’s important for expecting and new mothers to understand what our bodies are deficient in, what vitamins we need to take, and what we can do to have the healthiest pregnancy and postpartum possible. So what does our body really need during pregnancy and postpartum? I’m chatting with Lisa Mastela, a registered dietitian with a master's...
Jul 20, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Today, I’m chatting with Jennifer Blossom, a boy mom of two, occupational therapist, host of another amazing mom podcast called The Blossoming Mommy and Baby Show , as well as the CEO and Founder of Blossoming Mommy and Baby — a digital wellness brand that helps overwhelmed moms simplify motherhood. Jennifer has a passion for helping moms create a simpler, less chaotic, and more meaningful motherhood experience. This is why she is the perfect guest to talk about mommy burnout. I feel like this t...
Jul 06, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Since we are in the month of June and we just celebrated Father's Day , we thought it would be fun to chat with a Dad about what it was like becoming a father. So, for today's episode, we have an extra special guest, my husband, the other Co-Founder of Baby Chick, Brian Spears, and he is telling us his story. Was he ready? Was he nervous? And was becoming a dad everything he expected? We rarely get to talk to or hear from Brian on our website or social pages so we hope you enjoy this episode hea...
Jun 22, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Every child is different from one another and this includes the ways they learn. Some children are visual learners, preferring pictures, and spatial understanding. Others are aural learners who prefer using sound and music. Some children are verbal learners who prefer using words, both speech and writing. And others are physical (kinesthetic) learners who like using their body, hands, and sense of touch to learn. In today’s episode, I'm chatting with Punam Desormes, a Speech-Language Pathologist...
Jun 08, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 35
